A. Field
This invention relates to a floor panel, more particularly a laminate floor panel, as well as to a method for manufacturing such floor panel. Moreover, it also relates to floor coverings composed of such floor panels.
B. Related Art
In particular it relates to a floor panel of the type intended for forming a floating floor covering, wherein this floor panel comprises a decor, preferably a printed decor, as well as a top layer based on synthetic material, and wherein the decor of the floor panel represents a pattern with one or several wood parts.
From the state of the art, various means are known for providing the upper surface of such floor panels with a structure that renders an imitation of wood or wood parts more realistic. A first means consists in realizing impressions imitating wood structure or wood pores in the top layer of these floor panels, as is known, for example, from WO 01/96689. A second means consists in realizing imitation chamfers, either on the edge of the floor panel, or in the upper surface of the floor panel between the wood parts represented in the decor. Such imitation chamfers may be performed at the edge of the floor panel, for example, as a beveled edge, as is known as such from WO 01/96688.
However, the above-described means are insufficient for realizing, for example, a floor panel representing several wood parts in a realistic manner, or for realizing floor panels that have to render an antique impression.
The floor panels known up to now, which represent several wood parts, indeed still show a number of disadvantages, even when the aforementioned means are integrated therein. So, for example, do disadvantageous effects appear when a user observes a floor covering composed of such floor panels from a distance and/or under a relatively acute angle. In such a situation, the user will observe the decor not at all or less and, on the one hand, when solely the aforementioned first means has been applied, will not be able to observe that the floor panel represents several wood parts, however, on the contrary will obtain the impression of a completely flat surface in which a wood structure is present, or, on the other hand, when the second means is applied, will indeed be able to observe that the floor panel represents several wood parts, however, will have a strongly artificial impression thereof, as each wood part is surrounded by imitation chamfers in completely the same manner.